From Las Vegas to Macau and everywhere in between, the world’s biggest and most luxurious casinos are landmarks in their own right, and many of them are known and recognised instantly by name alone. But who are some of the people behind these casinos, and how did they build them into the hugely profitable establishments they are today? Let’s take a look.

1. Sheldon Adelson
While Sheldon Adelson may have passed away in January 2021, his legacy as the world’s leading casino tycoon still lives on. This CEO and Chairman of Las Vegas Sands was listed as having a fortune of $US33.5 billion in September 2020, and with Las Vegas Sands reportedly making $32 million a day (yes, A DAY!) it’s easy to see why! Despite not having graduated college, Adelson still managed to become a millionaire at the age of 30, and after purchasing the Sands Hotel & Casino in 1988, his fortune skyrocketed. As the parent company of the Venetian in Las Vegas and Macau, the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the Palazzo, and many more, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation is a hugely profitable one – all thanks to Adelson, and his entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, if you’re a land-based casino fan, it’s very possible you’ve played at one of Adelson’s casinos without even knowing it. Adelson may no longer be with us, but his contribution to the industry remains an incalculable one, and his casinos and resorts are testament to his enduring vision.

2. James Packer
If the name James Packer sounds familiar but you’re not sure why, it could be because you’ve heard it in conjunction with celebrity snippets about Mariah Carey – who just happens to be his ex-fiancée. However, Packer is more than a column in a gossip magazine – he’s a hugely successful businessman in his own right, and the owner and chairman of Crown Ltd, the biggest name in resort entertainment in Australia! While Packer’s story differs from Adelson’s in that he inherited his initial fortune from his father, he chose to invest that fortune in gambling, and succeeded in creating an empire worth an unbelievable $11 billion! All of which goes to show that it’s not about what you’re given – it’s what you do with it that counts.

3. Stanley Ho
Another name in international gambling, and this time one with many nicknames as well. Known as The King of Macau, Stanley Ho is the man responsible for bringing gambling to the area in the first place, after winning the exclusive rights to the casino industry in Macau in 1960. No stranger to entrepreneurship, Ho started his business dealings during WWII, when his family was forced to flee Hong Kong for the safety of Macau, following the invasion of the Japanese. Ho’s ingenuity and business acumen soon led to his success in other areas, amassing fortunes in real estate, transport, shipping, and the casino industry too. With Macau’s Casino Lisboa the highest grossing casino across the globe, Ho’s status as the father of Macau gambling is legendary, and the stuff that Hollywood movies are made of!